Synthesis of multilamellar phospholipids in meningioma cells.

This report is to demonstrate that specimen pretreated with tannic acid before osmification permits the ultrastructural identification of multilamellar phospholipids in 23 of the 30 meningiomas. The phospholipids very often had a fingerprint-like appearance, and were found within the cytoplasm of meningioma cells, among the plasma membranes and in the extracellular matrices. A preferential ultrastructural localization of multilamellar phospholipids to the glycogen-rich area within the cytoplasm was seen in 5 cases. They were intermingled with glycogen granules, or the latter were precipitated on the phospholipids. It is suggested that glycogen may serve as a source of energy for precursors of phospholipid synthesis in meningioma cells.